Monday, January 5, 2015

A new study shows that richer neighborhoods in New York City are closer to public transportation and economic activity. It then makes a big leap, asserting that the causal arrow runs from transportation to income. This is a plausible hypothesis, but the study provides no empirical support for this interpretation.

The study definitely does not support the sensationalist assertion that a college education is less important for financial well-being than access to public transportation:

“In New York, mass transit is the path to economic mobility, not education,” said Mitchell Moss, the center’s director. “It’s far more important to have a MetroCard than a college degree.”